Neither Here Nor There

[Chevu Visz]

Her cheek pressed against a cold grate, Chevu Visz woke with a start. Emerging from the hazy fog of unconsciousness, the Mirialan Jedi Knight found herself on the floor of...well, it wasn’t her freighter, Mirage. With a groan, she sat up and squinted around the interior of the ship as it came into focus. She definitely wasn’t sitting on the floor of the Mirage. A few moments ago, or so it seemed, Chevu and Coren were on their way back to Sullust from Zygerria, where they’d taken down a nest of slavers. And in this case, taken down meant that Coren killed every bad guy in sight. At least they had freed the slaves.

The Mirialan blinked her almond eyes at the alien craft, the interior ringed with convex designs on the walls and floors, interconnected, bioluminescent concentric circles that bubbled out from the surface of the hull. It might have been a trick of the eye, but the shapes almost seemed to be moving. Chevu closed her eyes and reopened them. The interior of the ship suddenly looked almost a few inches larger than it had when she’d first awoke. What the kriff? Was the inside expanding?

How did she get here anyway? Was it that odd glimmering stardust the Mirage had inadvertently veered into? Out the view port the undulating plume had looked like any other kind of interstellar dust, a large expanse of organic matter, amorphous solids, irregular shapes that were perhaps created naturally by stars. When the Mirage hit it, the world warped. Then blackness.

Panicking, Chevu called out anxiously, deathly afraid that she might be all alone in this incongruous place.

“Coren?”

[member="Coren Starchaser"]

 

[Coren Starchaser]

He was startled to the real world, away from what he assumed was a dream state. He wasn’t really sure, but what he knew was this wasn’t a ship he knew, nor was it a ship he built. The pilot could typically feel the ships he was on, and know who they belonged to and what they were, who worked on them. It wasn’t really a Force power, but maybe a cross of the time he spent on ships and a bit of mechu deru? It didn’t matter.

He didn’t know where he was. That was what mattered.

Mirage was a ship he helped construct, the same on the Flying Nuna and any number of other ships that the Starchaser Enterprises put out. He was going to need to work with those engineers real soon to help build some packages and equipment kits for ships.

No, that didn’t matter right now, Coren. What mattered was the ‘where the frell’ were you?

And what was that sound? Music? Was it in the ship?

He could hear the voice, distant, faint.

“Chev?” He looked around, trying to get to his feet, and then steady himself on the same.

 

[Chevu Visz]

She heard his voice, calling her name. Thank the Force he was here, too. Chevu planted her hands on the floor of the ship and jumped to her feet. Her lightsaber snapped to life as she studied her foreign surroundings. Holding her saber out defensively, she inched forward, following the sound of Coren's voice. Turning a corner, Chevu found Starchaser in another part of the ship, the walls marked with the same bulbous concentric circles. A strange atonal music filled the air.

Her breath came in quick, anxious gulps. Where was Mirage? Was she ok? The look on Coren's face said that he was just as lost as she was, but she asked him anyway.

"Do you recognize this type of craft?"

Switching off her saber, she clipped it to her hilt and began to search the ship using psychometry. There was definitely a Force presence here. A very strange one at that.

[member="Coren Starchaser"]

 

[Coren Starchaser]

Where were they? That was not good. Coren and Chevu would miss one of their check ins, and that may alert the Alliance to something being wrong, but by his estimate they still had a day or so. That was good, at least. They could get out of whatever this was, or die, or figure a way to make it not a problem for the Alliance. What was this place? Coren shook his head.

He needed to get off this ship, it didn’t feel right.

“I can’t tell what it is.” He was closing his eyes and touching the walls, reaching out with that psychometric ability he had spent years perfecting, well, as perfect as a Starchaser could get. “That nebula?” He looked at his apprentice.

“Something is odd here.” He could feel the presence. But what was it?

[member="Chevu Visz"]

 

[Chevu Visz]

Her brow furrowed deeply. Coren didn't know the make of the ship either which was concerning. They both could feel the Force presence, undulating though the air, a mix of dark and light energy. The weird atonal music suddenly stopped, and then filling the silence was strange, croupy coughing. The voice sounded female and the tone sounded wet, like the being's mouth was overflowing with mucus. Or blood.

"Looks like I found two players for my game," the voice slurred in Basic, slowly and thickly, as if it had been gargling sap. "If you want to play, that is," It added, almost mournfully.

"Do you want to play?"

Deep brown eyes widened at the implication. What did this being mean? What game? Chevu didn't understand. She inched closer to Coren and took his hand, squeezing it in hers. She was terrified. The Mirialan did not like to show weakness, especially in front of her master, but she felt comfort in Coren's touch, and she needed it right now.

[member="Coren Starchaser"]

 

[Coren Starchaser]

Coren was, regrettably, not that strong in the Force, he could feel that there was something going on, but he couldn’t feel the what it was. Shaking his head, the pilot was trying to filter it out in the Force, filter away Chevu, and the fact that he had no idea where they were in space. He heard the voice start and was not sure where he had heard it before, he knew the sound of the voice, the condition.

Looking around, at the ship, its walls, the ceiling, he was trying to find the source of the voice. When Chevu grabbed his hand, he tried to give her a smile, one of those faint smiles that said ‘it was going to be okay.’ Truthfully? They were in a ship, if there was anywhere Coren felt at home, it was in a space, traveling the void.

“What’s the game?” More balls than brains? Yeah, that was Coren Starchaser.

[member="Chevu Visz"]

 

[Chevu Visz]

A blue hologram flickered to life in the middle of the room, showing a strange creature in three translucent dimensions. She was squid-like with suctioned tentacles branching out from her bulbous body. The alien floated in a transparent globe that gave off a thin hum, suspended off the ground by an unknown force that did not seem to be repulsorlift technology. If either Coren or Chevu knew their xenobiology, they might recognize the species as J'feh. It was apparent that creature this was the owner of the voice.

“You will fight the Mirialan for my amusement in the world of Second Sphere,” the cephalopod told the pair in her mealy-mouthed tone. Second Sphere was a widely-known virtual reality suite made by slicer Cryax Bane. It operated much like a mind evaporator or the now defunct Sym-voyages. Users would wear a haptic body suit to explore a world that was so lifelike, it was almost indistinguishable from reality. Slicers used it to meet each other, and trade sensitive information. This terminally bored and possibly insane alien seemed to be using it for a sick form of entertainment, using to torment captured travelers.

“I will choose your avatars, your weapons, and the setting. I might even throw in some special challenges for both duelists. Both of you will fight each other to the ‘death’,” Here she lifted two tentacles up to make air quotes. “And only then will I let you go.”

A dark cackle escaped the J'feh's sharp, chitinous beak. “Not only will you win your freedom, but both of you will get a consolation prize at the end of the duel. For anyone who amuses me, I will make it worth your while.”

[member="Coren Starchaser"]

 

[Coren Starchaser]

He quirked up an eyebrow. It wasn’t that many things took Coren by surprise, he was a soldier and he was used to fighting the Sith, of all people, the ones who bend nature to their will, but this was not what he was expecting. There was Force presence here, but this was a hologram. Still, his hand went to his hip, where his blaster was. Even Han Solo was having quicker reactions here.

It was the cross of computers and the Force that was messing with the Corellian.

“Second Sphere?” Now kids, Coren Starchaser may be young, but that was a result of a carbonite nap, the galaxy had changed and he didn’t keep up with all the new toys. He kept up with the fighters, and weaponry. Not the tech. That was why he had, well, had-had Spark around. He idly wondered how much that Chevu was in the loop of the current technology. He looked at the apprentice and hten back to the holocron.

“To the death?” Yeah, that wasn’t going to happen. What did he need to hit to stop this thing?

[member="Chevu Visz"]

 

[Chevu Visz]

When the creature mentioned Second Sphere, Coren's eyes squinted in confusion. Chevu wasn't a super slicer like Spark Finn, and she certainly wasn't tapped into the zeitgeist minds of the galactic youth, but she did know what Second Sphere was. As the hologram hovered loftily over them both, regarding them with its wet beady eyes, the Mirialan explained.

"Second Sphere is a virtual world. It's basically a software program that you plug into while wearing a haptic bodysuit and a visor. Some people use it to meet people or play games. Some use it for more, um, private entertainment purposes."

Chevu felt herself blushing at her last statement. The puzzled look was still there, and she let out an impatient sigh. Coren needed to get out more. "If you die in Second Sphere, you don't really die." The Mirialan looked at the hologram and narrowed her eyes as she waited for confirmation.

"Do you?"

The creature nodded its amorphously-shaped dome in affirmation, and let out another spittle-flecked cough.

"That is correct, little green one. If you die in Second Sphere, you do not die in real life. It's even printed in the manual."

[member="Coren Starchaser"]

 

[Coren Starchaser]

There was a little about what Chevu just said that Coren understood. The man was a pilot, and the best way to train, well, the cheapest, was through sims. Haptic feedback was definitely important, so it wasn’t so foreign to him that he was nervous. But then again, that was also warrior Coren thinking, as opposed to master-apprentice duel thinking Coren. He didn’t want to have to fight Chevu, it wasn’t going to end well for either.

He caught the pang of embarrassment when she was talking about ‘private entertainment’ and he couldn’t help but laugh. “That where your history with it lies?” Following up with a wink, he looked back around the ship.

“So, if we don’t die there, what do you get out of this?” And he was talking to a machine, but right now? It was perhaps the best option to getting out of this alive. Or just… out of this situation. Coren looked to his student then back at the hologram.


[member="Chevu Visz"]

 

[Chevu Visz]

A laugh bubbled up from the J'feh's throat at Coren's question. Her tone took on a condescending quality, as if she were talking to a child.

"If you want to kill her for real, I certainly won't stop you, but there doesn't need to be a fatality for the game to be enjoyable. This is simply entertainment. Pablum to pass the time."

"What's your name?" Chevu demanded, arms crossed over her chest defensively.

The creature swiveled its head to study the Mirialan with one of its bulbous, unblinking eyes.

"My name is Ptol. I am a descendant of Lady Dhol of Cheelit. Lady Dhol also enjoyed games. Her favorite game was Firepath."

Ptol turned to Coren, pointing at him with one slimy tentacle.

"Talk about a lethal game. Lady Dhol once played against Darth Vader, who sadly manipulated the game to end her life. You can play that against me if you'd rather not duel your sweetheart, pilot. But a gentle word of warning: If you die in Firepath, you do die in real life."

[member="Coren Starchaser"]

 

[Coren Starchaser]

The larger the galaxy the more Coren was less surprised by things that showed up. But right now, this was a surprise to him. Something that kidnapped he and his apprentice and didn’t need blood? Very interesting, very unexpected.

“No, I think I’ll pass any game called ‘Firepath.’” And Vader? He thought that was just the stuff of legend. Who knew that those stories were real. Granted, this was some sort of AI that he was dealing with, it all could be fabricated. Shaking his head, he looked at Chevu.

“You seem to know more than you’re letting on, Ptol. But very well, lets play your games?” He was ready for just about anything. Hell, it all had to be easier than going against Sith that didn’t falter, right?

[member="Chevu Visz"]

 

[Chevu Visz]

"I'm glad you came to that conclusion, Pilot," said the J'teh with a syrupy chuckle. Suddenly, the hologram abruptly cut off and a pair of blast doors hissed opened where before there seemed to be none. Two jet black protocol droids waddled out with a set of bodysuits and visors for the new players. Chevu and Coren were instructed by the pair to strip down to their underwear so that they could don the suits and visors, and both master and student begrudgingly complied. Unfortunately playing Ptoh's game seemed to be the only way out of this wormhole they'd stumbled into.

Once the Mirialan and the Corellian were suited up into their haptic bodysuits and loaded into the Second Sphere platform, the application placed them both into a quick tutorial where the two Force users would be able to acclimate to their new avatars. Of course in this phase, master and student were separated from one another.

Coren's avatar was a Shistavanen marital artist, and it could be geared up with an unlimited number of melee weapons that could be instantly spawned, as well as its own fangs and claws. The only restrictions on the avatar was that no Force powers or weapons could be used, but other than that, any melee weapon could be easily called and clicked on in dialogue box.

When the tutorial finished, Coren would find himself jarringly transported into their arena, a dizzying moving landscape in the form of a miles-wide golden ring around a molten hot star. Bolts of fire shot dangerously across the quickly orbiting ring in places, and below? Nothing but endless space.

Ready player one.

 

[Coren Starchaser]

There were times, and that was most of the time, where Coren didn’t trust a damned thing anyone told him. He couldn’t master the abilities to block the world out in the Force and trust his own instincts. So, with so many damned mentalists out there crying foul at anyone who had a skill for blocking others from entering, probably, the most sacred place a person had, their mind. This one though, with the Force and the electronics? Coren wasn’t sure what to believe. But he knew when he had to take the cards dealt and play them to the best of his ability.

What he knew next was a whole lot of tutorial knowledge for what was to come, and then he was…. Not Coren. And had a lot of weapons at his disposal.

Taking a second, he looked around, this place was something else, wasn’t it? Right, duel. He grabbed one of the larger pikes. Now he needed to find Chevu, right?

Was that how this worked?

[member="Chevu Visz"]

 

[Chevu Visz]

The minute the visor was placed over her head, Chevu was plunged into a disorienting and lightning-fast tutorial, that explained how to use her avatar along with its powers and abilities. Her avatar itself was a Shi’ido. She had been given no weapons, other than an ability to shapeshift into something with claws and teeth. Once the game deemed Chevu ready, she was ported into the arena, an incredible moving planetary ring.

Coren was some kind of wolf thing with a pike. At least she assumed it was Coren since the J’feh had said that the game would be a duel between the two of them.

Speaking of Ptoh, the creature's wet, disembodied voice boomed out overhead with an ominous warning for the fighters.

“Remember, players. This is a duel to the death. If one of you throws the fight, you will be put back into the arena to fight again until I am satisfied.”

Chevu’s brow furrowed with worry. It was hard to believe that all of this was made out of code, just numbers, lines, and symbols. The arena looked and felt indistinguishable from reality itself. A green hand wandered down to her thigh, where pinched herself. Yep, it hurt, too. What would death feel like? She didn’t want to find out, but she didn’t want Coren to either.

She let out a long sigh and using her shapeshifting ability, activated by using a simple hand gesture, she transformed herself into a large female rancor. Guess they might as well get this over with. Roaring a battle cry, Chevu-as-rancor reluctantly stormed towards her adversary, her enormous jaw snapping at Coren.

[member="Coren Starchaser"]

 

[Coren Starchaser]

On and on, I got nothin’ to hide

Right, wolfman. With a pike. That was going to be a character some day. Coren still was in search mode. The computer wanted a duel? Well, he and Chevu could give it one. He heard the Rancor coming and all about soiled himself, but gripping the pike, he focused his resolve.

He could do this, what was it going to take? Porting in a knife, he hurled it at the Rancor-Chevu’s midsection before hoping to make a slide underneath the Rancor’s legs. He had an idea on how to get this over quickly.

The Shistaven's anatomy and phys were a bit different, and he was going to be tumbling underneath the Rancor's feet, used to handling things as a human and not some lesser species. Near-Humans were always fine by Coren, but try as he might, he always had a hard time swallowing the other species that littered the galaxy.

[member="Chevu Visz"]

 

[Chevu Visz]

Chevu-as-rancor stomped her three-toed feet and let out a spittle-flecked roar. She, too, was having trouble with the foreign movements of her oversize and quite lumpy new body. Her rough, armored skin didn't feel like home, and it was disconcerting to say the least. When the knife glinted in Coren's paw, she saw it a bit too late to dodge it completely. As her body twisted, the knife slid in with a thunk, and she let out a strangled yelp. It was a superficial wound, but it still hurt like feth. The pain was anything but fake. As Coren tumbled underneath her enormous tree-trunk legs, she grabbed at him with her long clawed hands. It was hard to get a grip on the Shistavanen and she felt frustrated. She didn't want to eat Coren. There were much nicer things she'd rather be doing with Starchaser, and none of them involved biting off his head or ripping him limb-from-limb.

As he used his smaller size to evade her, she got an idea. Calling up the avatar's dialogue box, Chevu quickly picked a new shape, and in nanosecond, her body folded down into that of a Anacondan's. Letting out an angry hiss, her grey serpetine body undulated around Starchaser in an attempt to coil around his legs and tangle him up, and hopefully, knocking him off his feet so that she could pin him down.

[member="Coren Starchaser"]

 

[Coren Starchaser]

Wolfman Coren was not too pleased to have to go against a Rancor, he was less pleased that the Rancor was his student. He was focused though, and if the fight would get them out of this situation, so they wouldn’t be stuck in some techno limbo and could go do what the Jedi couldn’t? He’d be ready and willing to do what was needed to get out there and start doing what the galaxy needed.

A cleanse.

Maybe he could find the knowledge lost on Ruusan, on how to bring forth an army of Jedi. Would there even be a holocron from Lord Hoth?

It didn’t matter right now, what mattered was getting out of this technological prison. He looked back at the Rancor-Chevu, crying out in pain. He knew it was the worst thing to do, but he knew it needed to be done, they needed to be free of this prison.

And then it did something he wasn’t expecting.

“Shifter…” He swung the pike he had around his arm, axe end extending from his hand and continued on at the snake. Before he could move, he was on his back, the pike knocked from his arm, he rolled, shifting his body to reach for the pike.

[member="Chevu Visz"]

 

[Chevu Visz]

Chevu heard wolf-Coren’s pike make a clattering sound on the crystalline surface of the planet’s ring. Her warrior training kicked in, and the Anacodan attempted to further wind her muscular form around his body, looping him in a number of coils aimed for different parts of his body, including his throat. If successful, she would constrict him, just like an ambush predator, attempting to cut him off from seizing his weapon as well as deprive him of oxygen. Ironically, it was Starchaser’s own training with his student that sharpened her mind into a decisive killing machine.

Could she do this? Could she cut the life out of a man she...No, she wasn’t going to say that word yet. There were too many unknowns there. Better to box up those demons until they could be dealt with, and just focus on the fight. As she worked on coiling the rope of her scaled grey body more tightly around him, it dawned on her. She had to do this. It was the only way to get out of that squid’s infernal game. She had to go for it.

Oh Coren, I'm so sorry.

[member="Coren Starchaser"]

 

[Coren Starchaser]

This duel was something else. He had no idea how to deal with a shifter like this, and without the Force, he didn’t have his +2 to evasion. She knew what she was doing, and there was a moment of pride in Coren, but that was quickly removed when he understood he was getting attacked by a giant snake. He could see the pike out of reach, but his body was being coiled upon, and his clawed hands went for the body that was around his neck.

Snakes didn’t have parts, but whatever this part was? He needed to remove it.

His arms and hands were going to try to get a grip on the scales as she tightened her grip. They needed to get out of this game, get out of this hellhole, and back to the battle at hand. The war beyond this place. He was going to keep the fight going as long as he could, still trying to find purchase within the scales.

[member="Chevu Visz"]